tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71007686079855845322024-02-07T07:38:38.399-05:00Reading for the heck of itI have a varied taste in literature. I read everything from children's literature to science fiction/fantasy to nonfiction. In this blog I'm going to discuss the books I'm currently reading as well as give recommendations based on books I've already read. Need a rec? Well, just ask!Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.comBlogger576125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-71513786465199635202022-02-04T11:17:00.000-05:002022-02-04T11:17:09.987-05:00For all the music lovers out there<p>A music lover writing about his love of music for other music lovers? YES, PLEASE. </p><p>Reading <i>The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music</i> by Dave Grohl right after finishing up Paul McCartney's <i>The Lyrics </i>was absolutely the <i>best </i>decision I could have made<i>.</i> Firstly, Dave is a huge Beatles fan (and a friend of the man himself!) so there were tons of references to him and his music making it feel like I was enmeshed in an almost surreal literary musical infinity loop. Secondly, the parallels to their musical journeys are undeniable (and fascinating). Thirdly, both books absolutely engrossed me and fired up my imagination. [A/N: And since I've had a fairly slow start reading wise this year I am eternally grateful to these two men for this.] </p><p><i>The Storyteller</i> is exactly what the subtitle claims it to be: Dave Grohl's musical journey from his childhood playing "pillow drums" in Virginia, leaving on tour as a teenager with the band Scream, making music history with the super band Nirvana, and creating his own label with his bandmates the Foo Fighters. Reading this book felt like watching a behind the scenes documentary of the 90s punk scene. It's gritty and devastating at times, full of heart always, cheeky (I definitely laughed out loud multiple times), and just an all-around excellent book for anyone who has ever felt overcome by the power of music. 10/10</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81YHHiNPDNL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81YHHiNPDNL.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon.com</span></div><br /><p>What I'm currently reading: <i>What Just Happened: Notes on a Long Year</i> by Charles Finch</p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-29828197900238613632022-01-27T16:14:00.001-05:002022-01-27T16:15:34.553-05:00The man, the myth, the legend: Sir Paul McCartney<p>I should have known that I wouldn't be satisfied with simply borrowing a copy of <i>The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present </i>by Paul McCartney (with help from Paul Muldoon). Even though I've only had a chance to look at the first volume which covers his songs from A-K I know that this book set is one that I will most definitely be adding to my personal collection. Beautifully designed and executed, this is exactly what it purports to be: a collection of the lyrics that he's written from 1956 to the present day. I guess it must have been Paul Muldoon who suggested they arrange the songs alphabetically which was an excellent decision as it allows the reader to feel like they're sitting with Paul and hearing his reminiscences rather than a backlog of albums chronologically. Arranged into chapters by letter, each song lists the writer(s), vocal artist, recording studio, album, and year along with the entire lyrics. Following that is a short recollection from Paul about the story behind the song as well as various photographs and ephemera (some of which has never been seen before!). This is a <i>gorgeous</i> masterpiece of literature in my opinion. [A/N: And if you love a book that lays down flat then you're going to melt with rapture.] As you could probably guess, this is a 10/10 from me (and I haven't even gotten my hands on L-K yet!).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/10/28/USAT/6cc24305-71c0-4386-8fac-5c569d4c5679-Lyrics_BoxA_2400x1600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/10/28/USAT/6cc24305-71c0-4386-8fac-5c569d4c5679-Lyrics_BoxA_2400x1600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: USA Today</span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>What I'm currently reading: <i>The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music</i> by Dave Grohl</p><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-33151862959966536812022-01-19T15:53:00.002-05:002022-01-26T13:10:14.090-05:00DNF Update 2021<p>As I was looking back at my book roundup for 2020, I realized that I had promised to make a DNF (Did Not Finish) post...and I definitely did not follow through with that promise. Oops! Well, I'm not going all the way back to 2020 (perish the thought) but I <i>am</i> going to give you all a peek into why I decided to put these 7 books aside in 2021. Writing these mini reviews/explanations really reinforced why it is that I end up setting books aside. If I don't connect with the characters, writing style, or the concept then I can't summon up the energy to care and/or continue with the book. *shrugs*</p><p><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really wanted to like <i>All the Little Hopes</i> especially since I don't tend to read a lot of books set in the South (which is weird as I'm Southern myself). But from the start I was thrown by the dialect of the main characters which didn't become more readable as I continued. Added to that, I just didn't feel any connection to the main characters. They felt like one-dimensional caricatures. The storyline was also extremely predictable which I know for some readers is a huge comfort and a plus when reading (like with the Romance genre) but it's not my thing. What made it even more of a disappointment was that I had received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) thinking that it would end up being something I could recommend to my patrons. :-/ </span></span>In the end I got about 1/4 of the way through before I ultimately decided to lay it aside.</p><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: none;">I don't even think I made it 50 pages through <i>Big Friendship</i> before I knew that this book was definitely not for me. I had high hopes for this one because I have a long distance bestie and I thought this would be a good buddy read for us. That unfortunately didn't pan out. (Krystle, if you're reading this post you're on your own with this book.) </span><span style="background-color: none;">The main issue was the choice of bouncing between using 'we' and 'I' as the authors volleyed back and forth telling their individual and intertwined narratives. It really distanced the writing and I felt zero connection to the authors as a consequence. That made it difficult when trying to put myself in their place and/or trust them enough to take on their "advice". Perhaps it would be have been different if I had been a fan of their podcast Call Your Girlfriend. *shrugs* Whatever the case, I didn't end up finishing this one. </span></span></div><div><br /></div><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I picked up <i>Monstrous Affections</i> solely based on the absolutely stunning cover which overrode my better judgment re short story collections. </span></span>I don't know when I'll learn that short story collections by multiple authors just aren't my jam. :-/ The premise of this one is excellent and I do think this will appeal to readers who like sampling different styles of horror writing...but that's not me I'm sorry to say. I made it nearly halfway through this tome before I finally admitted to myself that I wasn't going to finish it.<div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: none; border: 0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: none;">When I read a review of <i>Care of Wooden Floors</i>, the impression given by the reviewer was that this was an observational comedy about a man who house sits for a fussy college friend. Through a series of farcical mistakes, he manages to do pretty much the exact opposite of all the things asked of him by the apartment's owner. </span><span style="background-color: none;">In actuality, this is a book about an unlikable (and unrelatable) main character who was so <i>blah</i> that the book never really hooked my interest. While the little notes peppered about the apartment by Oskar (the owner) were funny because they were so over the top these were not enough to save the book overall. If your character is as dull as dirt then you'd better draw the reader in with an exceptional storyline or else you lose the reader which this book absolutely did. </span></span>I only read the first 1/4 of this one.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I kept seeing lots of positive press for <i>Under the Whispering Door</i> and since it explores one of my favorite topics (death) I thought I'd better put it on hold. The writing is done well with lots of descriptive passages and an interesting concept but I didn't really connect with any of the characters. [A/N: When you have a book that talks about the meaning of life (and death) that's a real drawback.] I kept putting it down with no desire to pick it back up again and when I left it sitting on my desk for more than a week I decided it was a no for me. I think this is more of a 'not the right book for <i>me</i>' but would definitely be a good fit for someone else.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not sure if it was Joe Hill's writing style or what but I just couldn't connect to the stories in <i>Full Throttle</i>. I read 5 of them and thought the best of the lot was about a bookmobile visited by ghosts. [A/N: Since I'm a librarian I may be a bit biased.] I found myself rereading sentences because they just weren't making enough of an impact to linger in my mind. Just not my cup of tea. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Annoyingly, I ordered <i>The Little Sleep</i> through Interlibrary Loan because I had heard it was a really unique detective story. Ostensibly, the most interesting aspect of the main character is that he is narcoleptic and suffering from delusions but he remained a one-dimensional character that I could <i>not</i> connect to on any level. A large part of the disconnect had to do with the writing style which felt disjointed and untethered from reality and in a hardboiled detective novel was a major turnoff. [A/N: Maybe that was on purpose as the character in himself was all over the place but I didn't enjoy that literary device.]</span></span></div><div><br />For those curious about the book covers:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi2d9hUFdXzQyxjg2g45n5cQCIW69GVfpd5sAKnKX8mG3uQ7Rl2yS7ZJ9OmCZE64uxyTyMd3wKdSLhqL9D6h0I7aW6YT6bZ5qgPqiXapL3DVKjt4diCeIv42taeMSMU6pJqTH08PeIISPGqpfrS0LK4cWywpXyhzHR7lZsYJgS-SBIEM8F6_Y9UxQM=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi2d9hUFdXzQyxjg2g45n5cQCIW69GVfpd5sAKnKX8mG3uQ7Rl2yS7ZJ9OmCZE64uxyTyMd3wKdSLhqL9D6h0I7aW6YT6bZ5qgPqiXapL3DVKjt4diCeIv42taeMSMU6pJqTH08PeIISPGqpfrS0LK4cWywpXyhzHR7lZsYJgS-SBIEM8F6_Y9UxQM=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon.com</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSYcQ7N3XyRNC_qeA1jsejmH3u0k7wenwo9AlmVdziBu0QWwaGYF8dc9SRAZLjM1PMWuGZF4lCJam2fgDlOog2mWtSQQn1VlgIK54pW-9Ven-n9adzNTviq4v1XYkBO4vskBL5hGwFlWGFCLJfLyIEqAKw4scIoXRfInj2J9fVr8PCkqw5B_rUONTt=s2159" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2159" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSYcQ7N3XyRNC_qeA1jsejmH3u0k7wenwo9AlmVdziBu0QWwaGYF8dc9SRAZLjM1PMWuGZF4lCJam2fgDlOog2mWtSQQn1VlgIK54pW-9Ven-n9adzNTviq4v1XYkBO4vskBL5hGwFlWGFCLJfLyIEqAKw4scIoXRfInj2J9fVr8PCkqw5B_rUONTt=w260-h400" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuVApxhc5ukQfrI-LvGCfLKGIpBKTeldFixlFQxIG6eYF-YXbH3DSugdeiUde2xaOK1NcaSFsr1ljo5Qqk1f-mDszVICU5aFuAAWMlOg9Tdu6X-JeNZJ2XAPEvJaUCzTIFBMZAwt5_UjKvusIbd8gdrblsrI6-lEs4knQakOg2hNoFEEpdVbKs-izP=s2560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1834" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuVApxhc5ukQfrI-LvGCfLKGIpBKTeldFixlFQxIG6eYF-YXbH3DSugdeiUde2xaOK1NcaSFsr1ljo5Qqk1f-mDszVICU5aFuAAWMlOg9Tdu6X-JeNZJ2XAPEvJaUCzTIFBMZAwt5_UjKvusIbd8gdrblsrI6-lEs4knQakOg2hNoFEEpdVbKs-izP=w286-h400" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5GuNWEwXIu_GvoICAz7MqQkcgz-rvGAvaublqCj0cKTrWyN6lwFAp06z-tyiwNCRUyuOgfsvbtZhAe_GJPMBZKqOz4gQ7PzhTxoONhz6XFeTwFPADbdkxfciTld2Ef1fOzGYhAZqpd0v_sMkisNfMI6_K1zI2MCNOhcdoIzXPaOfAcVWW6iDb-lBI=s499" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="344" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5GuNWEwXIu_GvoICAz7MqQkcgz-rvGAvaublqCj0cKTrWyN6lwFAp06z-tyiwNCRUyuOgfsvbtZhAe_GJPMBZKqOz4gQ7PzhTxoONhz6XFeTwFPADbdkxfciTld2Ef1fOzGYhAZqpd0v_sMkisNfMI6_K1zI2MCNOhcdoIzXPaOfAcVWW6iDb-lBI=w276-h400" width="276" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS49kRcaiM-aqfZgQ6fLCVk1zk43ZEbqBUlbOrSqnm3plwZihIESCpm3bgYxp_HNqSagw_5hZzqH013cGYdKE86U9R-cpfz5N88Due2q88nP_xud_uOlPb9fABXDpywbss8vAreQg8Xmwf6ApDAlTJVQWPL7lo2WUsyfgfIRaErZOqYddMgIFpcU2h=s2446" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2446" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS49kRcaiM-aqfZgQ6fLCVk1zk43ZEbqBUlbOrSqnm3plwZihIESCpm3bgYxp_HNqSagw_5hZzqH013cGYdKE86U9R-cpfz5N88Due2q88nP_xud_uOlPb9fABXDpywbss8vAreQg8Xmwf6ApDAlTJVQWPL7lo2WUsyfgfIRaErZOqYddMgIFpcU2h=w261-h400" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho6bQMT2D9J8xJiH46fhyDB8T6U2z_InCU1pMmU9iwnACi56z_vXuEvnXzZmGaYgMUnicj4dCmS_6kPxxnPrplIq06ajPTJnef-5C9USyTV9vLZuzWaGu7Ep-d1L33WLvlL7VJZ8ptt8GCB8gFpR1g5U6Q96pxiNINPU6XZNXZ0leU8AbgUsncviGX=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho6bQMT2D9J8xJiH46fhyDB8T6U2z_InCU1pMmU9iwnACi56z_vXuEvnXzZmGaYgMUnicj4dCmS_6kPxxnPrplIq06ajPTJnef-5C9USyTV9vLZuzWaGu7Ep-d1L33WLvlL7VJZ8ptt8GCB8gFpR1g5U6Q96pxiNINPU6XZNXZ0leU8AbgUsncviGX=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh59kqC_7i6jMxwB4JEIInQQ8qm1sLrycZWt77PIXC0ZoGLCd_QqhYxf6ILH9NO7QGMUYBiQfR7cm_8-D401qLTdXBQMWZN-u4fC9d0sjpbk0Eo0N3kL3BdLfxxw9tq2b3-_Txv8Sbx2aFCy_GAAmyKR87hjSAzkZXbaEJEwjQ1eBuEURPU4A-yNK9P=s2044" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2044" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh59kqC_7i6jMxwB4JEIInQQ8qm1sLrycZWt77PIXC0ZoGLCd_QqhYxf6ILH9NO7QGMUYBiQfR7cm_8-D401qLTdXBQMWZN-u4fC9d0sjpbk0Eo0N3kL3BdLfxxw9tq2b3-_Txv8Sbx2aFCy_GAAmyKR87hjSAzkZXbaEJEwjQ1eBuEURPU4A-yNK9P=w274-h400" width="274" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon.com</div><div><br /></div>What I'm currently reading: <i>The Lyrics 1956 to the Present: A-K</i> by Paul McCartney & Paul Muldoon<br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-30261387182596517732022-01-03T16:09:00.002-05:002022-01-03T16:22:13.827-05:002021 Book Roundup<p>I had a pretty great reading year even if the year itself was not quite so spectacular off the page. (You can probably relate.) I continued to read a lot of comics in 2021 as well as a lot of nonfiction intermixed with some literary fiction sprinkled here and there. But rather than just talk about what I read, let's get to the list! (And maybe I'll post more regularly this year starting with my 2021 DNF post. *fingers crossed*)</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><i>How to Win Friends and Influence People</i> by Dale Carnegie</li><li><i>The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox</i> by Maggie O'Farrell</li><li><i>Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day</i> by Winifred Watson</li><li><i>Fox Tossing: And Other Forgotten and Dangerous Sports, Pastimes, and Games </i>by Edward Brooke-Hitching</li><li><i>Single. On Purpose: Redefine Everything. Find Yourself First. </i>by John Kim</li><li><i>The Uncommon Reader</i> by Alan Bennett</li><li><i>Broken (in the best possible way)</i> by Jenny Lawson</li><li><i>My Italian Bulldozer</i> by Alexander McCall Smith</li><li><i>The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue</i> by V.E. Schwab</li><li><i>Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure</i> by Ryan North </li><li><i>Bury my Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's</i> by Tiffany Midge</li><li><i>Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</i> by Jared Diamond</li><li><i>Crooked House</i> by Agatha Christie</li><li><i>Spring</i> by Ali Smith</li><li><i>A Tiger Like Me</i> by Laura Watkinson, Joelle Tourlonias, & Michael Engler</li><li><i>The Vision Vol 1: Little Worse Than a Man</i> by Tom King, et. al.</li><li><i>The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed our Understanding of Madness</i> by Susannah Cahalan</li><li><i>House of M</i> by Brian Michael Bendis</li><li><i>Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch: A Year in the Life</i> by Richard Howell et. al.</li><li><i>The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy</i> by Anna Clark</li><li><i>Star Trek: The Stardate Collection Vol 1</i> by Scott Tipton et. al. </li><li><i>Star Trek: The Stardate Collection Vol 2</i> by Scott Tipton et. al. </li><li><i>Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America</i> by Eliza Griswold</li><li><i>Beneath the Sugar Sky</i> by Seanan McGuire </li><li><i>Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunately Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened</i> by Allie Brosh</li><li><i>The Vision Vol 2: Little Better Than a Beast</i> by Tom King et. al.</li><li><i>Talking to Strangers: What we Should Know About the People we Don't Know</i> by Malcolm Gladwell</li><li><i>Hench</i> by Natalie Zina Walschots</li><li><i>Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living</i> by Elyakim Kislev</li><li><i>Ancestor Approved</i> by Cynthia Leitich Smith</li><li><i>Star Trek: A Cultural History</i> by M. Keith Booker</li><li><i>Summer</i> by Ali Smith</li><li><i>Klara and the Sun</i> by Kazuo Ishiguro</li><li><i>The Lost Village</i> by Camilla Sten</li><li><i>A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome</i> by Emma Southon</li><li><i>A Promised Land</i> by Barack Obama</li><li><i>Slow Horses</i> by Mick Herron</li><li><i>Birding is my Favorite Video Game</i> by Rosemary Mosco</li><li><i>Good Omens </i>by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman</li><li><i>Into the Raging Sea</i> by Rachel Slade</li><li><i>How to Avoid a Climate Disaster</i> by Bill Gates</li><li><i>Scarlet Witch Vol 1: Witches' Road</i> by Vanesa Del Rey</li><li><i>Dead Lions</i> by Mick Herron</li><li><i>Beauty Sick</i> by Teri Schnaubelt</li><li><i>In An Absent Dream </i>by Seanan McGuire </li><li><i>Back to the Future: Tales from the Time Train</i> by Bob Gale et. al.</li><li><i>Back to the Future: Biff to the Future</i> by Bob Gale et. al.</li><li><i>The List</i> by Mick Herron</li><li><i>Real Tigers</i> by Mick Herron</li><li><i>My Twentieth Century Evening and Other Small Breakthroughs: The Nobel Lecture</i> by Kazuo Ishiguro </li><li><i>The Trouble With Women</i> by Jacky Fleming</li><li><i>Solutions and Other Problems</i> by Allie Brosh</li><li><i>When Pigs Fly</i> by Stephan Pastis</li><li><i>Spook Street</i> by Mick Herron</li><li><i>Alena </i>by Kim W. Andersson </li><li><i>The Guncle</i> by Steven Rowley </li><li><i>Little Soldiers</i> by Lenora Chu</li><li><i>The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her own Making</i> by Catherynne Valente</li><li><i>The Demon Under the Microscope </i>by Thomas Hager</li><li><i>Never Let Me Go</i> by Kazuo Ishiguro </li><li><i>The Nature of Life and Death</i> by Patricia Wiltshire</li><li><i>The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness</i> by Ella Berthoud</li><li><i>The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry</i> by Rachel Joyce</li><li><i>Cyclopedia Exotica </i>by Aminder Dhaliwal</li><li><i>The Thursday Murder Club</i> by Richard Osman</li><li><i>Good Eggs</i> by Rebecca Hardiman</li><li><i>The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World </i>by Amanda Little</li><li><i>Brave New World</i> by Aldous Huxley</li><li><i>Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead</i> by Emily Austin</li><li><i>Carpe Jugulum</i> by Terry Pratchett</li><li><i>This is Your Mind on Plants</i> by Michael Pollan</li><li><i>Star Trek Voyager: Seven's Reckoning</i> by Dave Baker et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek: Gold Key Archives Vol 1</i> by George Kashden et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek Voyager: Encounters with the Unknown</i> by Nathan Archer</li><li><i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Too Long a Sacrifice</i> by Scott Tipton et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek: Voyager: Mirrors and Smoke</i> by J.K. Woodward et. al.</li><li><i>Who Killed Captain Kirk? </i>by Tom Sutton et. al.</li><li><i>Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor</i> by John Byrne</li><li><i>Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Gorn Crisis</i> by Kevin J. Anderson et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek Classics Vol 2: Enemy Unseen</i> by Tom Sniegoski et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek: Hell's Mirror</i> by J.M. DeMatteis et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through the Mirror</i> by Scott Tipton et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek Classics Vol 4: Beginnings</i> by Mike Carlin et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek: Burden of Knowledge</i> by Federica Manfredi et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek: The Next Generation - Intelligence Gathering</i> by David Messina et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War</i> by Angel Hernandez et. al.</li><li><i>Death of a Gossip</i> by M.C. Beaton</li><li><i>Death of a Cad</i> by M.C. Beaton</li><li><i>Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law</i> by Mary Roach</li><li><i>The Man Who Died Twice </i>by Richard Osman</li><li><i>Star Trek: Alien Spotlight - Romulans </i>by John Byrne</li><li><i>Star Trek: The Q Conflict</i> by David Messina et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek Archives Vol 1: Best of Peter David</i> by Bill Mumy et. al.</li><li><i>Star Trek: Romulans - The Hollow Crown #2 </i>by John Byrne</li><li><i>Star Trek: Romulans - The Hollow Crown #1</i> by John Byrne</li><li><i>Star Trek: The Classic Episodes</i> by James Blish</li><li><i>The Autobiography of Mr. Spock</i> by David A. Goodman</li><li><i>AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future</i> by Kai-Fu Lee & Chen Quifan</li><li><i>How Y'all Doing? </i>by Leslie Jordan</li><li><i>The Spy Who Came in From the Cold </i>by John le Carre</li><li><i>Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events </i>by Brent Spiner</li><li><i>A Will to Kill </i>by R.V. Raman</li><li><i>The Boys</i> by Ron & Clint Howard</li><li><i>Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History</i> by Richard Thompson Ford</li><li><i>Back to the Future: Untold Tales and Alternate Timelines</i> by John Barber et. al.</li><li><i>Back to the Future: Hard Time</i> by John Barber et. al.</li><li><i>Back to the Future: Citizen Brown</i> by Bob Gale et. al.</li><li><i>Back to the Future: Who is Marty McFly? </i>by John Barber et. al.</li><li><i>DeadEndia: The Watcher's Test </i>by Hamish Steele</li><li><i>Back to the Future: Time Served </i>by John Barber et. al.</li><li><i>Back to the Future: Continuum Conundrum</i> by John Barber et. al.</li></ol><p>And the reread books:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> by Douglas Adams</li><li><i>The Restaurant at the End of the Universe</i> by Douglas Adams </li><li><i>Life, the Universe and Everything</i> by Douglas Adams</li><li><i>So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish</i> by Douglas Adams</li><li><i>The Devil in the White City</i> by Erik Larson</li><li><i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> by Charles Dickens</li><li><i>The Adventures and the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes</i> by Arthur Conan Doyle</li></ol><p>That brings our total count to: 118 books including rereads. </p><p>**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here. This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-22341011081658746612021-12-03T10:12:00.000-05:002021-12-03T10:12:04.214-05:00Intriguing concept with excellent follow-through <p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>AI 2041: Ten Visions for our Future </i> by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Quifan is a unique undertaking. </span><i>AI 2041</i> seeks to explore the way that AI (Artificial Intelligence) will advance and change over the next twenty years. <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Both authors have experience in the tech fields (Kai-Fu in particular as he owns and operates a venture capital that focuses on technology). However, after leaving their respective jobs at Google they took very different career routes. Chen has pivoted to become a successful sci-fi writer using his knowledge and experience to create realistic stories with a science fiction slant. This book is a combination of their two vocations.</span></p><p>There are 10 short sci-fi pieces written by Chen that delve into different existing (and evolving) technologies powered by AI through a realistic lens. At the end of each story, Kai-Fu discusses in detail why he believes these advances in AI will have sufficiently progressed by the year 2041 to make these stories seem less like science fiction and more like science <i>fact</i>. Some of the topics discussed like deep learning (we're seeing the beginnings of it now with Google Maps following where we've been and making suggestions) and the mechanization of the workforce (this has been happening for years but in twenty years time we could see major industries like medicine, education, and construction almost entirely taken over by AI) have been developing for decades. </p><p>Each of the stories was so well-written and the analyses were so fascinating that at times I forgot my absolutely debilitating fear of Artificial Intelligence (until I read the section on autonomous vehicles). This is a great read for fans of sci-fi, technology, or futurology. And it's one of the few short story collections I've read in recent memory where each of the offerings could stand on its own. (And I actually recall more than half of them after finishing it roughly 3 days ago.) 10/10</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/P/059323829X.01._SX450_SY635_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/P/059323829X.01._SX450_SY635_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir Inspired by True Events</i> by Brent Spiner</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-78694515475941482102021-09-29T11:58:00.000-04:002021-09-29T11:58:06.799-04:00I love Star Trek comics<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Those of you who've been reading this blog for a while will know that there are some subjects near and dear to my heart. One of those is Star Trek. I. LOVE. STAR. TREK. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious I turn to those space travelers to take me boldly where no one has ever gone before. So of course now that school has started back in NYC and my workload has exponentially increased at the library (we're back to in-person programming) I've felt too scatterbrained to focus on anything except for Trek related entertainment. Hence my reading (like Gollum down in the caves) of several Trek comics all in a row. Here's a quick rundown:</span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek Classics Vol 1: The Gorn Crisis</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek Classics Vol 2: Enemy Unseen</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek Classics Vol 3: Encounters with the Unknown</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek Classics Vol 4: Beginnings</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek Classics Vol 5: Who Killed Captain Kirk?</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek/The Green Lantern: The Spectrum War</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek: The Next Generation - Intelligence Gathering</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek: Burden of Knowledge</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek: Voyager - Mirrors and Smoke</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Too Long a Sacrifice</i></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Star Trek: Voyager - Seven's Reckoning</i></span></li></ol><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of these felt like I was totally immersed in new episodes of the TV series while others fell a bit short of the mark in terms of character believability. (Some of that I think is due to when they were written because I don't think the personality traits were fully fleshed out yet. I'm looking at you Data with feelings!) Some of my favorites (this will not come as a surprise) feature the original cast of the Enterprise on various missions (I really loved the McCoy series). Those had vintage artwork and were really <i>peak</i> 1960/1970s humor, fashion, and sensibilities. I think for anyone who's a fan of the TV series, films, or the universe of Trek in general it's a great way to spend a few hours (or in my case weeks) reading your way through the various adventures of these intrepid space travelers. Go boldly!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://64.media.tumblr.com/29d6b6aedbc3137a27f18fac344d0b8d/tumblr_n3zqixEcWH1sq0c0yo1_640.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="539" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/29d6b6aedbc3137a27f18fac344d0b8d/tumblr_n3zqixEcWH1sq0c0yo1_640.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From ST Classics: Who Killed Captain Kirk? (Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstartrekcomics.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F83251779307%2Finscrutable-who-killed-captain-kirk&psig=AOvVaw1QkEFccYWE7bfx7JEt2kkg&ust=1633016706586000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjhxqFwoTCMClgLrDpPMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAO" target="_blank">Star Trek Comics</a>)</span></div><br /><p></p><p>If you'd like me to do super long-winded Trek posts in the future please drop a comment because I would most <i>definitely</i> be down for that. I have <i>thoughts</i>. lol</p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation - Through the Mirror</i></span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-33304444367051272802021-08-13T14:56:00.000-04:002021-08-13T14:56:24.309-04:00A cure for a reading slump<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I read <i>The Thursday Murder Club</i> by Richard Osman as a buddy read with one of my coworkers (something that wonderfully started happening around the start of the pandemic and has continued). Neither of us knew that 1. we would end up falling so in love with these characters or 2. that this was the start of a series (huzzah!). [A/N: I looked at the author's name and thought I knew it from somewhere even though this is his debut novel and then I saw his author photo. He's an English comedian!]</span></p><p>Anyway, let me tell you a little bit about this book. The story bounces between perspectives but what anchors it are the diary entries of one of our main characters, Joyce, who has recently been invited to join the exclusive Thursday Murder Club at Coopers Chase senior living facility. This group of unlikely compatriots is comprised of Elizabeth (unrivaled head and sassy queen), Ibrahim (retired psychologist and super detail-oriented), Ron (affable rabble-rouser), and newest member Joyce (retired nurse and lover of a good police procedural). I really love books that take place at retirement homes especially if they're elaborate retirement villages like this one where the inhabitants aren't portrayed as dreary depressives. (In fact, these retirees are more likely to day drink and break the law.) What starts the story off is a cold case that they're investigating together but that quickly evolves into a murder played out in real-time much closer to home. They <strike>insinuate themselves into</strike> infiltrate the local police department (hilariously and with much subterfuge) as the case moves forward gaining momentum (and bodies). If you like fast-paced mysteries with a hilarious cast of characters then you are truly in luck because this one absolutely fits the bill. 10/10</p><p>P.S. My coworker listened to the audiobook and she <i>highly</i> recommends it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.thestorygraph.com/h9hrq7jedzt3dfnjbe0fnrdruuzz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="520" height="400" src="https://images.thestorygraph.com/h9hrq7jedzt3dfnjbe0fnrdruuzz" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: StoryGraph</span></div><br /><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World </i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Amanda Little</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-73897700071477710432021-08-07T15:26:00.000-04:002021-08-07T15:26:07.877-04:00Take a trip with a great book<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">First things first, <i>The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry</i> by Rachel Joyce was a delightful surprise. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This is one of those instances where the cover perfectly captures the essence of the story. (Trust me when I say that I appreciate this cover design for its brilliance even more now that I've read the book.) The reader follows Harold Fry, recently retired from the local brewery, who receives news that a friend from his past (as in distant past) is dying from cancer. So naturally he decides to mail her a letter but then he passes by the mailbox...and the next one...and the next one...until suddenly he's on a journey across the length of England firm in his belief that she will stay alive until he gets there. On his journey (or pilgrimage as it comes to be known) he examines moments from his past that he had repressed (his tumultuous home life, distant relationship with his son, and his strained marriage to name a few) while also discovering his inner strength and fortitude. It's a beautiful (and at times tragic) story about love, loss, and faith. If you enjoy reflective tales with lots of descriptive prose then this book is a great way to spend a lazy afternoon or maybe take on a trip. ;-) 9/10</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335816092l/13227454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335816092l/13227454.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Goodreads</span></div><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>The Thursday Murder Club </i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Richard Osman</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-82828272408523623382021-07-24T14:16:00.002-04:002021-07-24T14:25:10.362-04:00Caftans should be more of a thing<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been singing the praises of <i>The Guncle</i> by Steven Rowley to almost every single person that I've spoken to recently. YA'LL. When it was sold to me as a book that embodied the hilarious campiness of Leslie Jordan you know I was sold immediately. And it did not disappoint. This book follows Patrick who has recently found himself in the unenviable position of being the caregiver for his niece and nephew as they navigate the grief of losing their mother. (I don't want to give more details because I want your reading experience to be as pristine and surprising as mine was.) There are so many fantastic elements to this book that I hardly know where to begin. Patrick is a fantastic character in his own right with an acerbic wit, Guncle Rules for living your best life, and a healthy dash of flash and flair. Ugh I </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">desperately </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">want to be Patrick's BFF. And then there's Maisie and Grant who have been believably written as YouTube obsessed kids who are handling this monumental life change with varying degrees of success. (I am so sick of authors writing kids who are either saccharine sweet or heinous monsters when in reality most kids are a delightful mixture of the two.) Between the three of them, they are doing their utmost to get over the first hurdles of being without this pivotal person in their lives (for Patrick it's his sister-in-law and best friend rolled into one) while also getting to properly know each other. It is EXCELLENT. Please listen to me and give this book a try because I truly think you won't regret it. 10/10</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PS Bonus points for the neighbors who live next door to Patrick who I </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">also</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> want to befriend.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594848421l/54508798.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="530" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594848421l/54508798.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Goodreads</span></div><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>The Novel Cure from Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You </i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Ella Berthoud & Susan Elderkin</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-75604657792603008802021-07-07T23:54:00.001-04:002021-07-07T23:54:22.254-04:00Ten years 😳<p>Incredibly I've been posting reviews here <strike>somewhat</strike> consistently for 10 years as of today. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATkg82SP-hku3verIjvP9TiZDWX3tM1qHUhyphenhyphenRZ0VjdQ3Gl32yhAEWOXW1h5QQV6AZsGD8G1oX619Hpm43ofBe9d-aWY12ZKMZ6qlear8QEx4Y7Fuk2EQVUAolv_5S3Xb7mYGDyvWwEc4/s667/soi-guess-you-say-things-are-getting-could-pretty-serious-49190956.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATkg82SP-hku3verIjvP9TiZDWX3tM1qHUhyphenhyphenRZ0VjdQ3Gl32yhAEWOXW1h5QQV6AZsGD8G1oX619Hpm43ofBe9d-aWY12ZKMZ6qlear8QEx4Y7Fuk2EQVUAolv_5S3Xb7mYGDyvWwEc4/s320/soi-guess-you-say-things-are-getting-could-pretty-serious-49190956.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://me.me/i/soi-guess-you-say-things-are-getting-could-pretty-serious-85a39da044504c9a8b2244881d39d0f8">Meme</a></span></div><br /><p><br /></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-70026232402424187082021-06-26T14:46:00.000-04:002021-06-26T14:46:56.806-04:00Slough House: A Masterpost (so far)<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I thought I'd do a masterpost on the <i>Slough House</i> series by Mick Herron </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">(at least at the point I've gotten to which is to the 4th book). If you're a fan of the spy thriller genre then this is a real fun time. (Thanks to the patron who recommended it to me!) Full transparency: I read the first two books a couple of months ago so I'm copying over my reviews from other sites. 😁</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeZkXobFAiiLcTq9S7PchNt8aeALMRIq-oeZMIBA5SGs8KNqBMvplpTXGje2JXp0o4tttBJ1pgQjVu-e_frPIOHlPEUjKsyJkTdxsIxqkA0KrnX52VYLuIosg0rf-Bt6244cCAqk56zM/s400/slowhorses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeZkXobFAiiLcTq9S7PchNt8aeALMRIq-oeZMIBA5SGs8KNqBMvplpTXGje2JXp0o4tttBJ1pgQjVu-e_frPIOHlPEUjKsyJkTdxsIxqkA0KrnX52VYLuIosg0rf-Bt6244cCAqk56zM/w265-h400/slowhorses.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: StoryGraph</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: none; white-space: normal;">In <i>Slow Horses </i>we are introduced to the characters of Slough House (basically MI5 rejects for a variety of reasons) who have been relegated to paperwork and other drudgery under the watchful eye of their supervisor Jackson Lamb (a unique character for sure). While all of the inhabitants of Slough House (called slow horses by their erstwhile colleagues in Regent's Park) are featured at different points in the story we mainly follow the newest arrival, Robin Cartwright, as he tries to come to terms with his new situation. [A/N: Because this is the first in a series, there's a lot of information about how The Service operates as well as introductions on all of the main characters (some more fleshed out than others to keep up the mystique).] Robin begins to suspect that something is afoot when he is sent on his first assignment outside since his transfer more than 6 months before. The story builds and builds upon itself adding layer upon layer of mystery with many moving parts. But because it's so compelling and fast-paced readers should be able to follow the threads easily (and finish super quickly). If you like fast-paced spy thrillers with a host of complicated characters (not all likable) then this book will definitely fit the bill.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBoJt0aRnyBnOYXYsjl_ChyphenhyphenJK3bmXFU4_RkKfulNrni6EBD3J7UpRFx44S6PePdDcijLtsfcl_qp8LOyQV4b6UlYDNtrHceIKDbtGX1oes_5JENQUqKv0M2PbMCuMSDlU01QsuO-7_Ww/s475/deadlions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBoJt0aRnyBnOYXYsjl_ChyphenhyphenJK3bmXFU4_RkKfulNrni6EBD3J7UpRFx44S6PePdDcijLtsfcl_qp8LOyQV4b6UlYDNtrHceIKDbtGX1oes_5JENQUqKv0M2PbMCuMSDlU01QsuO-7_Ww/w268-h400/deadlions.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: StoryGraph</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: none;"><i>Dead Lions</i> finds us once again among the slow horses of Slough House as they complete their day-to-day meaningless tasks. But then a spy who has been out of the game for years turns up dead and Jackson Lamb is on the case...if there is one. While Lamb, Ho, Cartwright, and Standish try to unravel the mystery of this death Harper and Guy are tasked with babysitting a visiting Russian who could prove to be an asset. [A/N: I personally found the dead man's death much more interesting than the Russian diplomat (it felt forced).] It wasn't </span><span style="background-color: none;">quite as electrifying as the first in the series but I really liked that it picks up right after the conclusion of the previous book (even if there are still loose threads).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8sZoQj1wqMky0u15Q-wm5mCtCSrWdGpbLoq6bi5yj2Bam4XHsC9ZUETpN-HM76UAG2t_6Wj0qM2jCRGbav2hL445Pr4NZJUTtETwp02BqcB6lHZQbonPLXviU0RVeYejTzDf6HkD024/s400/thelist.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8sZoQj1wqMky0u15Q-wm5mCtCSrWdGpbLoq6bi5yj2Bam4XHsC9ZUETpN-HM76UAG2t_6Wj0qM2jCRGbav2hL445Pr4NZJUTtETwp02BqcB6lHZQbonPLXviU0RVeYejTzDf6HkD024/w264-h400/thelist.jpg" width="264" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: StoryGraph</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background-color: none;"><i>The List</i> is a novella length story which revisits our friends in Slough House but focuses primarily on some new recruits to the team as well as the fallout from the bombshell that occurred in the previous book (don't worry no spoilers here). The best bits were inevitably those revolving around Jackson Lamb, the fearless leader of this ragtag gang of misfits. When a spy/informant from the old days dies, it is discovered that he had been playing shadow games and keeping secrets from his handler. Can this mistake be hushed up and rectified or are they all in greater danger than they originally feared? Lots of talk about the 'craft' of being a spy in this one which was interesting but I think its short length hampered the storyline.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA2RqEtYaDyENA2NR0OmSRY6Lp4QVF7RjqAugcvrlDR9Z-e9YaJBv0JcSUX-a-HdL3-SZb0VN5e9xXTNGpEDNDMryOcPBtrv-7dLTs5mEuTKhhQgPEVAfe6GLUEM_8Rlv1mC4DsQzivE/s475/realtigers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA2RqEtYaDyENA2NR0OmSRY6Lp4QVF7RjqAugcvrlDR9Z-e9YaJBv0JcSUX-a-HdL3-SZb0VN5e9xXTNGpEDNDMryOcPBtrv-7dLTs5mEuTKhhQgPEVAfe6GLUEM_8Rlv1mC4DsQzivE/w265-h400/realtigers.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: StoryGraph</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background-color: none;">This book started out really strong with the kidnapping of <i>maybe </i>my favorite character (can you guess who this is?). All hands are on deck to try and recover their erstwhile colleague but it's Cartwright that really goes above and beyond by making his way through the defenses of Regent's Park to get classified information for the kidnappers. This one gave me the same feeling as the first in the series like a proper 'spy thriller' with all of the intrigue and suspense. Super high stakes that had me gritting my teeth at the ending so of course I immediately ordered <i>Spook Street.</i> 😬</span></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>Mansfield Park </i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Jane Austen (reread) and <i>Solutions and Other Problems</i> by Allie Brosh</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-91388697105564356052021-06-22T14:16:00.000-04:002021-06-22T14:16:31.894-04:00Phenomenal fantasy series<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In my quest to read books that feature LGBTQIA characters, the Wayward Children series came to my attention. [A/N: It's a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning series so it's not as if I accidentally stumbled across it.] Not all of the novellas in this series feature LGBTQIA characters but they <i>do </i>explore gender identity and nonconformity in general. Fantasy and sci-fi have historically been used as a vehicle to explore these ideas and McGuire does it with particular skill especially considering these books are all novella length. (I truly marvel at how much she packs into such small books without it seeming rushed or awkward.) After reading the first in the series, <i>Every Heart a Doorway</i>, I bought the rest of the set and have taken my time to really savor her writing. The 4th book in the series, <i>In An Absent Dream</i>, follows Lundy who travels to the world of the Goblin Market where everything is ruled by logic and reason. Back in the "real" world, Lundy is known as Katherine and up until the point she walks through her magical doorway she is a solitary figure who flies below the notice of most people. But her time in the Goblin Market changes her and the way that others (especially her family) perceives her. One of the themes that McGuire explores through her books is the feeling of 'otherness' that most kids experience at one time or another but she uses the framework of fantasy to illustrate this point beautifully. (I'd love to tell you how she does it in this book but it's a major part of the storyline and ya'll know I don't abide by spoilers.) Suffice to say, this book and the series in general is a delightful way to spend an afternoon (or several). 10/10</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyT9QT4fhMChBipgRWGijYXNIC36Q0swEGAR9PAbLA5SXucaOueq8s0QGlx1NalWwsJCso9uC9PcqyXCswEdtEKZdyd-VGCAQEYuHNgHsTVh7B5ARD2fsjpjvFMlMgAmPtgguGItksOF4/s1000/inanabsentdream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyT9QT4fhMChBipgRWGijYXNIC36Q0swEGAR9PAbLA5SXucaOueq8s0QGlx1NalWwsJCso9uC9PcqyXCswEdtEKZdyd-VGCAQEYuHNgHsTVh7B5ARD2fsjpjvFMlMgAmPtgguGItksOF4/w320-h320/inanabsentdream.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Macmillan Publishers</span></div><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>Persuasion </i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Jane Austen (reread)</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-39795304021716502592021-05-26T11:23:00.002-04:002021-05-26T11:23:27.949-04:00Should I have quit reading?<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I became conflicted while reading <i>How to Avoid a Climate Disaster</i> by Bill Gates about halfway through because the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/16/business/bill-melinda-gates-divorce-epstein.html" target="_blank">news</a> broke about his less than stellar behavior (i.e. scummy) towards his wife and female colleagues. (Don't even get me started on his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.) I even contemplated marking it as DNF and moving on with my life. Additionally, I didn't feel like I was gaining any new information on the topic of climate change and what we can do to mitigate its effects and continuance. This is more the kind of book that newbies to the topic of environmental sciences and climate change would read to get a handle on the situation. It's full of good data (can't fault the man for thorough research) and is written in a straightforward manner that makes it very readable. He offers solutions both achievable and out-of-the-box to turn the tide so that future generations will not be hit with a deluge of irreversible problems. I was particularly interested in Direct Air Capture which is technology engineered to literally suck carbon dioxide out of the air and store it so that it can be used to generate energy and/or goods that would have required carbon anyway. The goal is to move towards zero fossil fuel emissions but we are a long way from that at this point. Practically, our best bet at this time is to pour money into research and development of technologies which will move us towards products and services that are carbon neutral. (I tell you something I didn't know until reading this book: Cement is <i>not</i> carbon neutral and there doesn't yet exist a cement that can be manufactured without carbon. #themoreyouknow) Conclusion: This is a well-researched book on a topic that more people need to educate themselves about but it doesn't lend a particularly <i>new</i> angle to the discussion. 6/10</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780385546133" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780385546133" width="274" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Penguin Random House</div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women</i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Renee Engeln, PhD</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-72048027930428000862021-05-20T14:58:00.003-04:002021-05-20T14:58:49.389-04:00The Odd Couple but with the power of miracles<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><i>Good Omens</i></span><span> by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett has been around for quite some time but for some reason I never picked it up which considering my enjoyment in other Gaiman works is a real surprise. But I watched the TV series and had to immediately grab a copy of the book from the library. </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The copy that I had included information about how Gaiman and Pratchett collaborated with one another to create this book as well as the two of them talking about each other. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">[A/N: I will say that I think if you haven't embarked on either of these journeys it would be better to read the book and then watch the series because they align pretty darn closely with one another.] </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The basic premise is that the world is coming to an end because the Antichrist is coming into his powers. The inhabitants of Heaven and Hell are pretty stoked about this because The Great War will determine the ultimate winner. There are only 2 beings that aren't </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">quite </i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">so thrilled and that's Aziraphale (Angel) and Crowley (Demon) because they know that the Apocalypse spells the end of the earth and all of the wonders therein. The real charm of this book are these two principal characters and their Odd Couple friendship (some really excellent dialogue which is </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">super</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> funny). I used to count fantasy as my favorite genre and reading books like this reminds me why I used to almost exclusively read from this genre. It's so much fun! 10/10</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>Bonus: amazing footnotes which reminded me of my reading experience with <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7100768607985584532/8849762884143766830" target="_blank">Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell</a>.</i></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uwMAAOSwfVpYp24Y/s-l640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="500" src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uwMAAOSwfVpYp24Y/s-l640.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: ebay.com</div><br /><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>Scarlet Witch: Volume 1</i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by James Robinson</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-31156619655402479172021-05-14T13:01:00.001-04:002021-05-14T13:01:35.149-04:00This is just part one<p><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: none; color: white; white-space: normal;">I think most people can agree Barack Obama is an excellent orator so it should come as no surprise that his writing is just as eloquent, insightful, and personal. It's also THOROUGH. There's a reason that that book is super long and there's still another volume. For every decision that he made during his presidency, he gives detailed context, counterarguments, and reflections on the results. This book is biographical in that we learn about his childhood, schooling, family, and his thoughts and feelings on what it was like campaigning and ultimately serving as President. But it's much more than that because he gives the reader an in-depth view of life in the White House as well as the inner workings (and conflicts) in government. This is the first Presidential biography that I've ever read so I have no basis of comparison but he laid out the political environment in clear-cut and understandable language that somehow didn't read like a textbook or party propaganda. Quite a feat I think.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: none; color: white; white-space: normal;">Some of my favorite parts of this book are the same things that endeared him to me when he held the highest office in the land. His idealism, forthright manner, and ability to not take himself so seriously really shine through when he talks about his meetings with his staff, discussions with foreign officials, and struggles to push through legislation against party opposition. While I felt a bit bamboozled by this only being the first volume (at 768 pages no less!), I had a fantastic time reading this book. It is lengthy (there's no getting around that) but it moves along at a good pace which had me picking it up again and again. Now I'll just have to wait for the announcement of the release date for the second book. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91uwocAMtSL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91uwocAMtSL.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: Amazon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>Good Omens</i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-43056397055664196002021-04-28T14:23:00.001-04:002021-04-28T14:23:14.376-04:00Psychological suspense in a single setting<p>Yikes, I just realized it's been a month since I last posted. I've been ripping through books so quickly (I'm sure some of you can relate) there has never seemed to be enough time to sit down and post a review. But I'm here today to do just that!</p><p>Longtime readers of the blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Swedish authors. In fact, some of my favorite books from the last couple of years come from that beautiful country. So when I saw Camilla Sten's <i>The Lost Village</i> on <a href="https://libraryreads.org/" target="_blank">LibraryReads</a> it was a no-brainer. This is a psychological suspense thriller where our main character is trying to uncover what happened in the past while simultaneously trying to unravel the very real danger of what is happening to them in the present. Alice has grown up hearing stories from her grandmother about her hometown where the inhabitants (all 900 of them including Alice's great grandparents and great aunt) vanished without a trace in the 1950s. Well, <i>almost </i>all of the inhabitants vanished. A murdered woman (tied to a pole and stoned to death) and a crying baby were all that was found when the police arrived on the scene. Alice has always been interested (read: obsessed) in her grandmother's story and now that she's got a film degree she's determined to make a documentary to uncover the truth of what happened there. So the reader is bounced between Now where Alice and her small crew are scouting the location and Then with Elsa (Alice's great grandmother) as the tale of what <i>really</i> happened slowly unfolds. </p><p>The beginning did drag a bit but around the halfway point it picked up significantly and by the last third of the novel the action is basically nonstop. [A/N: I preferred the Then sections somewhat more than the Now as the characters were more likable. 😬] She has another psychological suspense thriller slated for 2022 (this is the English translation if I'm not mistaken) and is also working on a YA series (labeled as dark and atmospheric). If you're in the mood for a suspenseful book that takes place in a single setting then I think this is a great option. 7/10</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutzwOzVcXOYsjyFMPGJDQ_xQ6LEGNKPGTlvmdD8E8vL_hVJHqFAAmOXhph6vSwWE7QGcm0_FfmewxZ_wEqE_wPyRjpL4sTPLP_ChNKQSa2ikA8ed1Y6jJ7Dea_1lSNqeU6JnrCh4kKLM/s400/lostvillage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutzwOzVcXOYsjyFMPGJDQ_xQ6LEGNKPGTlvmdD8E8vL_hVJHqFAAmOXhph6vSwWE7QGcm0_FfmewxZ_wEqE_wPyRjpL4sTPLP_ChNKQSa2ikA8ed1Y6jJ7Dea_1lSNqeU6JnrCh4kKLM/s320/lostvillage.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span></div><br /><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Emma Southon</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-48658148439671558442021-03-27T14:38:00.001-04:002021-03-27T14:38:09.878-04:00Citizen Scientists vs Government<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year I was feeling a bit meh about the books on my shelves so I thought I'd give a book subscription service a shot to see if that could jumpstart my reading. The one that I chose is <a href="https://www.coloringandclassics.com/" target="_blank">Coloring and Classics</a> (this post isn't sponsored but I'd be thrilled if it was) which sends a hardcover bestseller (nonfiction in my case), a coloring book, and an activity book each month. [A/N: </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I haven't been disappointed with my choice so if you're in a reading slump maybe give it a try.] </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you're wondering what kind of nonfiction books they send then wonder no more because today's book, </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Poisoned City</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, came in my February box. Spoiler alert: It was BRILLIANT. Anna Clark gives readers an in-depth look at the water crisis in Flint, Michigan that resulted from a breakdown in infrastructure as well as many years of disinvestment from the rest of the state (one could argue the country). I appreciated how much history Clark gave on the creation of the town from a trading post to an industrial powerhouse (General Motors was a big deal there). She also explained how the infrastructure of pipelines across the country has severe flaws like being lead lined and poorly documented so that if they </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">were</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to be replaced it would be nearly impossible to locate them. However, the biggest impediment to upgrades is the cost and time it would take to make these large-scale changes. Towns like Flint (which was already under emergency management due to debt) found themselves facing a public threat for which they seemingly had no recourse. Of course, the most infuriating and heartbreaking thing about Flint's case is that the townspeople were being thwarted at every turn by the very people that were tasked with their welfare and safety. When the water coming out of their taps was brown, oily, and smelly they complained. When people started to develop rashes and their hair started falling out they complained. But the government agencies tasked with monitoring environmental issues (in this case an absolute emergency) insisted that the water was safe for drinking, cooking, and bathing. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">When some of the residents had independent water tests conducted </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">at their own expense</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> they were pooh-poohed.</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This went on for over a year.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I cannot begin to express the outrage that I felt while reading this book. I had of course heard about the Flint Water Crisis but I wasn't fully aware of the duplicitousness of the local and state authorities or of the steady decline and disinvestment of the city. (And learning about water infrastructure is a lot more interesting than I'm probably making it sound. Trust me, it's fascinating.) Learning about how certain laws, statues, and ordinances have been finagled so that decisions that have far-reaching ramifications and consequences get made and justified...y'all it had me livid. But it serves as a powerful reminder that citizen scientists like the ones in Flint (who got almost no credit) are willing and perfectly able to advocate for their town. So this book serves as a warning and a testament to the strength of Flint's people. I'll never take my water for granted again. 10/10</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xLlfvqXVL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xLlfvqXVL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span></div><br /><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Amity and Prosperity</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Eliza Griswold</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-34133838899363003652021-03-16T11:50:00.000-04:002021-03-16T11:50:18.408-04:00The line between sanity and insanity<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I just finished <i>The Great Pretender</i> by Susannah Cahalan and IT WAS SO GOOD. I don't know why I am surprised by how much I <i>truly</i> enjoy reading an excellent nonfiction book but it's always such a delight especially when they're as engrossing as this one. You might recognize Susannah Cahalan as the author of <i>Brain On Fire</i> about her experiences being misdiagnosed with psychosis (for a MONTH) before a doctor determined it was actually autoimmune encephalitis. From that experience, Cahalan became a kind of spokesperson for this disease as well as an advocate for a more nuanced and structured diagnostic process. She learns about a well-known study </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">conducted in the early 70s by David Rosenhan which </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">explored the (pseudo)science of psychiatric diagnosis and the environment of psychiatric hospitals. And thus </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">her passion was truly ignited as she worked to track down as much information about this study as possible. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The explosive (and controversial) results of this landmark study had a profound effect on the field of psychiatry and how we view and treat mental illness in the United States. Cahalan gives a comprehensive overview of psychiatry and her journey to uncover the identities of those that participated in the original study. The end result was this book which I frankly keep raving about to anyone who will stop long enough to listen to me. Go forth, dear reader! 10/10</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91zm+WTT58L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91zm+WTT58L.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>The Poisoned City</i> by Anna Clark</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-71702415229485450342021-03-12T15:35:00.001-05:002021-03-12T15:35:53.089-05:00Being Human<p>Each of the books in Smith's Seasonal Quartet focus on a few major subjects/social justice issues/moral imperatives. <i>Spring </i>explores the detainment of refugees and migrants as well as the dehumanization of the people who we place in these centers (as well as the general disregard and/or derision that our society has for people labeled 'other' or 'foreign') . She looks at this topic through a few different lenses so that the reader can get a full view of the situation. We see the inside of a detainment facility in the UK through the eyes of a Detainment Officer named Brittany who has lost all compassion for the people under her 'care'. [A/N: The care aspect is dubious at best if the person doing the caring sees the people as inconveniences instead of humans which is pretty much the main point that Smith is making.] When Brittany meets a young girl at the train station who seems to have an almost hypnotic effect on everyone that she meets (including Brittany) the story takes a turn because Brittany (as well as the reader) is confronted with serious questions about otherness, belonging, and moral responsibility on a macro scale.</p><p>The same time that this storyline is unfolding there is a parallel storyline following a director named Richard who has lost someone very close to him and has decided that life has lost all meaning as a result. His story is told very descriptively through literature and film references and without any visuals still manages to evoke clear pictures in the mind of the reader. (If you couldn't tell I really loved it.) Rainer Maria Rilke and Katherine Mansfield's stories are told alongside his as he wrestles with adapting a book about them into a film. I feel that Smith's writing is valuable and poignant as well as incredibly relevant (purposely so which is why I somewhat regret not reading these as they came out). I'm very much looking forward to the last in the series but I'm also sad to be finishing the journey. <i>Spring </i>is a definite 10/10.</p><p>[A/N: As a slight spoiler, there are mentions of suicidal ideation so be aware if that might be triggering to you.]</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91lSfRuINzL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="497" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91lSfRuINzL.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon (this is the UK cover which I prefer)</span></div><br /><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A/N: </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It might seem a bit like I've jumped into the middle of a series with today's review but actually I read Ali Smith's </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Autumn </i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Winter</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> at the end of last year before I got back into the swing of blogging. For my thoughts on those two books you can head over to my </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8588962-alicea" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> page. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>The Great Pretender</i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Susannah Cahalan & <i>Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch: A Year in the Life</i> by Steve Engelhart</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span></p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-64928695865327452412021-03-02T14:07:00.000-05:002021-03-02T14:07:05.028-05:00Makes me long for the days of Costco's free samples<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I often don't pay much mind to the authors of the books that I read which is something I'm working on in 2021. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to be more purposeful and try to read more diversely not just in gender representation but also by picking up more own voices books that speak to the experiences of marginalized people. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">So to begin this quest I picked up </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Tiffany Midge.</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Tiffany writes about social justice issues through the lens of satire exploring the experiences of Indigenous peoples in the United States. She covers the gamut of topics from culturally insensitive (i.e. racist) costumes at Halloween to people claiming to be "2/10th Cherokee, I swear" to the atrocities that occurred during the peaceful protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline. My personal favorite essays were the ones she framed as 'open letters' to white girls which were so hysterical that I read them through twice. I also appreciated her tricking her family into going to Costco to try free samples by saying it was the Country Buffet. (I'm taking notes, mom!) The collection gets off to a bit of a slow start (it felt a bit flat especially after the rib tickling introduction by Geary Hobson) but the great thing about an essay collection is that you can always dip in and out without missing any crucial plot points. I definitely think that I'll be picking up more writing from her in the future because I really appreciated her perspective on the sociopolitical climate in the U.S. as well as her A+ dining suggestions. 😉😜 6/10</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/711+Wf8HjgL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/711+Wf8HjgL.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span></div><br /><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Spring </i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Ali Smith and <i>Guns, Germs, and Steel</i> by Jared Diamond</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span> </p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-25799982545403236852021-02-27T13:51:00.000-05:002021-02-27T13:51:58.090-05:00Like sand through the hourglass<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Today </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm talking about </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> by V.E. Schwab.</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> It took far longer to finish than I had anticipated and that was mostly because I expected it to be one thing and it was decidedly another. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I had thought (and hoped) it would be heavier on the historical fiction side of things and while it did start out that way it ended up leaning more towards romance (not my fave genre as you know). The reader follows a young woman named Addie LaRue (as the title suggests) who in a moment of desperation cries out to the universe for help and the answer she receives is not at all what she expected. In order to truly be <i>free</i> and live a life of her own choosing she is sentenced to be forgotten by everyone she meets. The story bounces between time periods beginning in the early 1700s and ending up in 2014/present day. Schwab's descriptive writing is truly beautiful and there were many passages that gave me <i>Hamnet </i>vibes (i.e. they were deliciously written) but these sections were brief and generally devolved into Addie's relationship with the god who cursed her. I also appreciated the chill LGBTQ+ vibes that were threaded throughout. However, if I have to distill all my feelings about this book into one word it would have to be: lukewarm. 4/10</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">[A/N: If you've read this book and want to discuss the ending hit me up in the comments but make sure to tag it as SPOILERS just in case anyone else happens upon it.]</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.thestorygraph.com/cekd86zvxrooytuoquye693lrsg3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="400" src="https://images.thestorygraph.com/cekd86zvxrooytuoquye693lrsg3" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: StoryGraph</span></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Spring </i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Ali Smith and <i>Guns, Germs, and Steel</i> by Jared Diamond</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span> </p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-53128065673352851912021-02-21T11:08:00.000-05:002021-02-21T11:08:09.295-05:00Laughter is certainly a medicine<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As long-time readers of the blog may know I'm a huge fan of Jenny Lawson (go <a href="https://readingfortheheckofit.blogspot.com/2016/12/lightning-struck-twice.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://readingfortheheckofit.blogspot.com/2012/04/change-of-plans.html" target="_blank">here</a> for my thoughts on her other books) so it was pretty much a no-brainer to pick up an early review copy of her newest book <i>Broken (In the Best Possible Way)</i>. Like her other two books, Lawson tells stories from her past (growing up, her relationship with her husband, hiding from delivery people, etc) with a heavy dose of gallows humor. (If you're squeamish or unable to play Cards Against Humanity then you're not going to vibe with Jenny which is a daggum shame.) There are a lot of reasons why I absolutely adore Jenny but probably the biggest is that she tackles the tough topics of mental health while cracking these macabre jokes which are 100% up my alley. (You already know I'm death positive so of course jokes about death are my life blood.) She doesn't shy away from delving into those dark places that people who suffer from depression and anxiety dwell and she doesn't sugarcoat her continuing struggles. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I do want to sound a note of caution that if you suffer from any mental health issues and are easily triggered by talk on this subject (or on the subject of suicide) then you might want to sip Jenny's book instead of gulping it down. (No idea why I turned this into a drinking metaphor.) But I do think it is worth your time because it is always so comforting to read about someone else fighting the same demons as yourself. (And you don't want to miss out on the laugh-out-loud moments that this book is saturated with because they are comedy </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">gold</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.) Another hole-in-one homerun through the goal posts.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81u3aJiUHLL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81u3aJiUHLL.jpg" width="263" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you or someone you love are in distress and contemplating self-harm or suicide please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline either by their <a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/" target="_blank">website</a> or by calling 800-273-8255. There's only one you on this planet and we want to keep you here. <3</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Bury my Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's </i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Tiffany Midge</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span> </p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-55677740013431928822021-02-13T11:14:00.002-05:002021-02-13T11:14:35.125-05:00A breath of fresh air<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: none;">Just as good as I thought it would be based off of the blurb. <i>The Uncommon Reader</i> by Alan Bennett explores the joys of reading and its ability to take the reader on a journey unlike any other. And the reader featured in this little novella has been on a great many journeys but when she falls in love with reading she is still fundamentally changed...like all of us book junkies. </span><br style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: none; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: none;">Bennett tells the story of what happens when Queen Elizabeth chances upon a mobile library at the back of the palace. For someone who's entire life has been about duty and impartiality the world of books (which naturally cultivates favoritism for authors) has been anathema. But once she sets off down the bookish path there's no stopping her insatiable appetite for the written word. But there's a bit of a hitch to her giddy up. Her staff aren't as jazzed about her newfound hobby as she is and the machinations to which they'll go to wrest her from the grip of her obsession border on the absurd (which is why it's so much fun).</span><br style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: none; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: none; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: none;">This little book manages not only to explore what it means to fall in love with literature and how it makes your entire view of the world expand but it also manages to cultivate a picture of the monarchy that feels believable (and hysterical). This isn't dry or abstracted but a spoofy and insightfully delightful little romp. So much fun!! 10/10</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0YmDADG1-raq2IMempwRoEdsjIXztFrhXBXiJkllOX10_XKp22y8huSrHu2qit23tyrWR8fh3bQQlGPzBg8IwBqdy2EHjLMOVc7M7Z04oWiThHWukUOcAIOYtCIvTT61CfNSUCAcDYE/s475/uncommon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0YmDADG1-raq2IMempwRoEdsjIXztFrhXBXiJkllOX10_XKp22y8huSrHu2qit23tyrWR8fh3bQQlGPzBg8IwBqdy2EHjLMOVc7M7Z04oWiThHWukUOcAIOYtCIvTT61CfNSUCAcDYE/w268-h400/uncommon.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Goodreads</span></div><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: </span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Broken (In the Best Possible Way) </i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">by Jenny Lawson</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span> </p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-22655230753449131682021-02-02T16:48:00.001-05:002021-02-02T16:51:58.002-05:00Dashed expectations and a DNF<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: none;">I started <i>Single. On Purpose</i>. thinking that it would be a celebration of being single and that it would talk about societal pressures to be in a relationship. I thought (and hoped) it would explore the joys of being on your own and how you can be a complete and happy person without being tied to someone else. I was wrong. </span><span style="background-color: none;">While the author <i>does </i>say that being on your own is valuable and meaningful his overall message is that this is only a step toward the ultimate happiness of being in a relationship. And he harps a lot on exercise and weight loss. As someone who has little intention of dating and who is super happy on their own this book felt insulting. Where's the book about being a kick-ass single that doesn't fret about their weight or wearing makeup or having sex? </span><span style="background-color: none;">I'm clearly the wrong audience for this book but I'm also super bummed that it wasn't what I thought it would be because that's the book I really wanted to read. 2/10 </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: none;">[Possible Spoiler: I felt like every bit of advice offered was either something glaringly obvious like 'get more sleep' or 'be happy doing things on your own' or it was bizarrely dangerous like 'go out and have one night stands if you've never done that before' and 'if you encourage your partner to go to therapy there's a better than average chance they will get better and leave you'.]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0285/2821/4050/products/9780062980731.jpg?v=1609160408" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="419" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0285/2821/4050/products/9780062980731.jpg?v=1609160408" width="259" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: HarperCollins Publishers</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: none;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p>And then there was a wildcard that I picked up at work. <i>The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid</i> by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis (the dream team behind <i>The Wildwood Chronicles</i> which I enjoyed so much) purported to be a wild romp through Marseille following the adventures of a group of thieving youths. But this book falls short. I got nearly halfway through the book before calling it quits because there was entirely too much focus on the buzzwords of thievery to the detriment of a smoothly flowing story. For instance, when our main character meets the whiz mob he is inundated with a long list of jargon to denote where on a person there might be loot (not the word they use by the way) as well as all of the complicated terminology for their roles in the group. And they kept bandying these words around and I kept being pulled from the story because I was trying to puzzle out what the heck they were referencing. (By the way, this is a middle grade book which either makes me a very slow-witted adult or the kids these days really have surpassed me with their slang.) So that's one I didn't finish and don't intend to continue. 2/10 because at least there's a few illustrations.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61UOx02wSGL._SX365_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="367" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61UOx02wSGL._SX365_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span></div><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I'm currently reading: <i>The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue </i>by V.E. Schwab</span></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span> </p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7100768607985584532.post-52767704076065557972021-01-18T13:54:00.001-05:002021-01-18T13:54:40.452-05:00I'm no flonker<div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: none; white-space: normal;">History buffs and sports enthusiasts will enjoy this little book full of information about those games that are no longer played and/or lost to obscurity (usually for a very good reason). The vast majority feature cruelty to animals which I suppose one could expect from a book titled </span><em style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: none; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box; white-space: normal;">Fox Tossing </em></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and Other Forgotten and Dangerous Sports, Pastimes, and Games</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> but boy was it brutal. Bears, rats, dogs, cats, and even tortoises weren't exempt from the savagery of man. Besides the sports that featured the capture, suffering, and eventual death of animals there were those that were just plain idiotically dangerous. For example, would you like to participate in a rousing game of Human Fishing whereby you are the fish attached to a fishing line with another person trying to reel you in? What about Waterfall-Riding over Niagara in a barrel? Of course, you could always play it safe and indulge in everyone's favorite past-time of Dwile Flonking where a person who is blindfolded tries to hit his friends with a mop soaked in beer. Yes, this was a real thing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box; white-space: normal;" /><span style="background-color: none; white-space: normal;">While I enjoyed learning about the different past-times enjoyed by people all over the world through the ages the sheer amount that relied on the maltreatment of animals made this not exactly a </span><em style="--tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; background-color: none; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: border-box; white-space: normal;">fun</em><span style="background-color: none; white-space: normal;"> read. Information = 10/10 Fun reading experience = 5/10</span></span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpnBfjiWcz9UA_ABGVhRMcCOnkNz6-8__sZl6NmMbaW2HjPlKsrOlZtNYmPqvPUVBqFPspR5R2bjZ1E_HpH9R2ymSWUxyM433l3DLGqUcP0lbGsrAl2c8BdVL4erWiq4YDgd04-ezIwc/s499/foxtossing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpnBfjiWcz9UA_ABGVhRMcCOnkNz6-8__sZl6NmMbaW2HjPlKsrOlZtNYmPqvPUVBqFPspR5R2bjZ1E_HpH9R2ymSWUxyM433l3DLGqUcP0lbGsrAl2c8BdVL4erWiq4YDgd04-ezIwc/w261-h400/foxtossing.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span></div><div><br /></div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>What I'm currently reading: ????</span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click </span><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/d4WRj" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **</span> </p>Aliceahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15982899595863249410noreply@blogger.com0